Trains Powered Entirely By Vacuum Pressure

Before electricity, some trains were powered by simple air pressure. A giant tube ran between the tracks, using a vacuum to suck the train forward like a straw drawing liquid.

This clever engineering eliminated the need for heavy engines or coal. A piston inside a continuous pipe was attached to the train, pulling it along as air pressure pushed from behind. While effective, the technology struggled with the rubber seals required to keep the pipe airtight. Today, this concept lives on in the development of futuristic high-speed vacuum transport systems.